Driver who hit ambulance was ‘grossly impaired,’ police say, and now a toddler is dead

A driver court documents describe as “grossly impaired” hit an ambulance carrying a mother and a 3-year-old boy early Sunday. Now the boy is dead.

Jose Duran Romero, 27, allegedly crashed his Honda Accord into the side of a Mercedes Lifecare Ambulance on southbound U.S. Highway 52 near Liberty Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, just after 1 a.m. on Sunday.

Police said both drivers lost control of their vehicles. The ambulance rolled onto its side. The Honda ran off the road.

Nearly two hours after the crash, Romero’s blood-alcohol content was 0.19 – more than twice the legal limit – police said. He didn’t have a driver’s license and had never had one, court documents said.

Never miss a local story.

Sign up today for unlimited digital access to our website, apps, the digital newspaper and more.

Romero was charged with driving while intoxicated, failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash and driving without a license. He was being held in jail on a $50,000 secured bond. His passenger, Adres Leon, 33, was charged with failure to render aid or give information in connection to the wreck. Leon was given a $1,000 bond and had left the Forsyth County Jail as of Sunday night.

Federal officials put Romero under an immigration detainer, which will allow U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agents to take Romero into custody once he is released from local custody.

The mother and her son – who had not been identified as of Monday evening – were on their way to a trauma center when the ambulance was struck, said Winston-Salem Police Lt. Rick Newnum.

The boy had been in stable condition before the crash north of downtown Winston-Salem but emerged from the wreck with life-threatening injuries, Newnum said. Winston-Salem police said the boy died on Monday.

The mother and two other adults aboard the ambulance were treated for minor injuries. All were taken to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center for treatment, according to multiple reports. The injured adults were expected to be OK.

Romero was expected to appear in court on Tuesday and has another court hearing set for April.

Students and staff tell what happened inside Douglas high school

Police respond to school shooting at Florida high school

Sweet, shivering puppy comforted by police officer after being rescued from river

John Camfield had spent 18 years in law enforcement in Mississippi but had an alcohol problem, one of the sheriff's he used to work for told Polk County Sheriff's Office authorities. Polk County Sheriff's Office